1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to solid state image sensing devices, and more particularly, to image sensing devices employing charge coupled devices with multiple horizontal shift registers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Image sensing devices within the prior art have disclosed charge coupled device based image sensors having dual horizontal registers for loading and reading out of charge carriers stored within the charge coupled device. The prior art devices for red, green, and blue (RGB) color image sensing typically have employed independent semiconductor chips to control the storage and reading out of the charge carriers. This has been necessary in prior art devices in order to control the unintentional mixing of RGB colors due to color aliasing and, thereby, yield better color reproduction at speeds as low as 20 MHz. However, using separate semiconductor devices for sensing each RGB color creates a more expensive system.
In particular, high resolution image sensing devices complicate the above discussed problems. These high resolution devices typically operate at a data rate of 74 MHz by employing dual registers each operating at 37 MHz. The high speed requirements of these devices increase aliasing problems and make it necessary to employ techniques that eliminate color mixing to assist the separation of charge carriers representing each color. Accordingly, prior art devices typically use separate semiconductors for the image sensing of each color at these high speeds. In a three chip design aliasing problems do not exist. However, a three chip design requires very expensive optics and the lens set up requirements are very substantial.
The present invention solves shortcomings within the prior art devices that do not allow mixing of different colored signals on a signal chip.